U.S. patent number 6,116,151 [Application Number 09/331,960] was granted by the patent office on 2000-09-12 for pressure cooker.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Fissler GmbH. Invention is credited to Martin Fickert, Bernhard Graziel, Arnold Thelen.
United States Patent |
6,116,151 |
Fickert , et al. |
September 12, 2000 |
Pressure cooker
Abstract
The invention relates to a pressure cooker with a container that
can be airtightly closed with the aid of a cover, which can be
placed upon a container edge and locked with it. A closing
mechanism is provided on the cover. The closing mechanism includes
a total of four arcuate closure members, acting distributively over
the periphery of the cover and pivoted on the periphery of the
cover. The closing mechanism can be moved by an actuating device
from an open position, in which the cover can be removed from the
container, into a locked position to extend underneath the
container edge. In the locked position, the cover is pressed at its
periphery against the container edge by interspacing an encircling
ring. The total (for example four) closure members are combined
into (for example two) groups of two closure members each of which
are connected with hinges. Two adjacent ends of the (for example
two) groups of closure members with the aid of the closing
mechanism are simultaneously guided obliquely inwardly toward one
another during closing, and during opening, obliquely outwardly
away from each other.
Inventors: |
Fickert; Martin (Herrstein,
DE), Graziel; Bernhard (Homburg/Saar, DE),
Thelen; Arnold (Kempfeld, DE) |
Assignee: |
Fissler GmbH (Idar Oberstein,
DE)
|
Family
ID: |
7819010 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/331,960 |
Filed: |
June 30, 1999 |
PCT
Filed: |
January 07, 1998 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/EP98/00039 |
371
Date: |
June 30, 1999 |
102(e)
Date: |
June 30, 1999 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO98/33422 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
August 06, 1998 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Feb 1, 1997 [DE] |
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197 03 765 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
99/337; 220/316;
220/319; 220/912; 99/340; 99/403 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J
27/0813 (20130101); Y10S 220/912 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
27/08 (20060101); A47J 027/08 (); A47J 027/09 ();
B65D 045/00 (); B65D 045/34 () |
Field of
Search: |
;99/330,337,338,342,340,403,407
;220/203,208,209,293,298,316,319,325,912
;126/369,377,378,373,374,388,389 ;292/256.67,256.69 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1070063 |
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Jul 1954 |
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FR |
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2218009 |
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Sep 1974 |
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FR |
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32 32 907 |
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Aug 1984 |
|
DE |
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4040489 |
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Jul 1992 |
|
DE |
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295 00 222 |
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Mar 1995 |
|
DE |
|
Primary Examiner: Simone; Timothy
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack,
L.L.P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A pressure cooker comprising:
a container for receiving items to be cooked, wherein said
container includes an outwardly bent container edge having a
circumferential contour;
a cover adapted to be supported on said container edge, wherein
said cover includes a periphery;
a closing mechanism provided on said cover, wherein said closing
mechanism includes
at least two groups of closure members, wherein each said group
includes at least two closure members pivotally connected together
and pivotally mounted on said periphery of said cover, wherein said
closure members are arcuately adapted to said circumferential
contour of said container edge, and
at least two closure member guides provided in relation to said at
least two groups such that at least two adjacent ends of said at
least two groups are guided simultaneously by said guides obliquely
inwardly towards one another during closing and obliquely outwardly
from one another during opening; and
an encircling seal ring provided on said cover and adapted to be
pressed against said container edge.
2. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein said guides
include a pin/slot combination.
3. A pressure cooker according to claim 2, wherein said pin/slot
combination includes at least four pins provided on each of said at
least four closure members, and at least four slots provided in
said cover for guiding said pins.
4. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein said guides
include a track-guided device having slots provided in said cover
for guiding said adjacent ends, and wherein said closing mechanism
includes a rotating device coupled to said track-guided device for
moving said closure members.
5. A pressure cooker according to claim 4, wherein said rotating
device includes a central actuation knob provided on said cover for
moving said closing members.
6. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein said closing
mechanism includes a central actuation knob for moving said closing
members.
7. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein said closing
mechanism includes an actuation device disposed on said cover
proximal to said container edge.
8. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein said cover
includes an outwardly closed U-shaped cavity provided on said
periphery of said cover, and wherein said closure members are
supported in said U-shaped cavity.
9. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein said cover
includes a U-shaped cavity provided on said periphery of said
cover, and wherein said closure members are radially guided in said
U-shaped cavity.
10. A pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein each of said
closure members has a U-shaped cross-section.
11. A pressure cooker according to claim 10, wherein said container
has a container axis, and wherein said U-shaped section is open
towards said container axis.
12. A pressure cooker according to claim 11, wherein each of said
closure members includes an upper flange and a lower flange,
wherein said lower flange is adapted to extend under said container
edge, wherein said lower flange is longer than said upper
flange.
13. A pressure cooker cover assembly comprising:
a cover including a periphery; and
a closing mechanism provided on said cover, wherein said closing
mechanism includes
at least four arcuately shaped closure members pivotally mounted on
said periphery of said cover, and
at least two groups of said closure members, wherein each said
group includes at least two of said closure members pivotally
connected together.
14. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 13, wherein
said closing mechanism includes at least two closure member guides
provided in relation to said at least two groups such that at least
two adjacent ends of said at least two groups are guided
simultaneously by said guides obliquely inwardly towards one
another during closing and obliquely outwardly from one another
during opening.
15. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 14, wherein
said guides include at least four pins provided on each of said at
least four closure members, and at least four slots provided in
said cover for guiding said pins.
16. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 13, further
comprising a seal ring provided on said cover.
17. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 16, wherein
said cover includes a groove, and wherein said seal ring is
detachably held in said groove.
18. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 13, wherein
said closing mechanism includes a central actuation knob provided
on said cover for moving said closing members.
19. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 13, wherein
said
cover includes a U-shaped cavity provided on said periphery of said
cover, and wherein said closure members are supported in said
U-shaped cavity.
20. A pressure cooker cover assembly according to claim 13, wherein
each of said closure members includes an upper flange and a lower
flange for extending under said container edge, wherein said lower
flange is longer than said upper flange.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVETION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pressure cooker with a container
intended for receiving items to be cooked. A cover, which can be
placed on an outwardly bent container edge and which is lockable
with it, can be airtightly closed by means of a closing mechanism
provided on the cover. The closing mechanism includes at least two
segment-like closure members, adapted arcuately to the
circumferential contour of the container edge, distributed over the
periphery of the cover, and pivoted on the periphery of the cover.
The closing mechanism can be moved by an actuating device from an
open position, in which the cover can be removed from the
container, into a locked position to extend underneath the
container edge. In the locked position the cover on its periphery
is pressed against the container edge by an encircling sealing
ring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known pressure cooker (DE 40 40 489 C2) a stationary U-shaped
holding segment is provided on a cover. Two arcuate clamping
segments, which are spaced apart from the holding segment, are
articulated on a pivot axis at the outer ends facing one another in
the proximity of the holding segment. The holding segment and the
clamping segments form a substantially circular arrangement. The
holding segment extends under the edge (turned outwardly) of the
container and thus aligns the cover with the container so that the
clamping segments extend under the turned-over edge. Opposite the
holding segment on the free ends of the clamping segments, brackets
are provided which extend away from the clamping segments. These
brackets are engaged by bolts of a closure lever. The clamping
segments in their open position in the region of the brackets are
spaced apart at an interval which corresponds to the spacing of the
bolts. When the closure lever is pivoted, the bolts move within the
brackets. Since the spacing of the bolts is fixed, the clamping
segments move during the locking process toward one another, and in
the locked position, are disposed adjacent to each other. The
length of the brackets is such that the open position and the
locked position are precisely defined. This configuration is
disadvantageous not only due to the stationary holding part but
also due to the fact that the arcuate clamping segments in the
locked position only overlap constantly over their circumferential
length with the container edge if their articulation is already in
the region of the container edge. The consequence of both is that
emplacement of the cover on the container requires an unaccustomed
movement parallel and perpendicular to the container axis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to create a pressure
cooker of the above cited type whose cover offers improved
operating comfort and simultaneously high locking security.
This object is achieved according to the present invention with
several (in particular four) closure members that are combined into
several (in particular two) groups of closure members. The closure
members in the groups of closure members are connected together
with hinges. The several (in particular two) ends of the two groups
of closure members, in particular their adjacent two ends, during
closing are simultaneously guided obliquely inwardly toward one
another. During the opening, the adjacent ends are guided obliquely
outward away from one another with the aid of the closing
mechanism, which moves the hinges radially between the closure
members.
In this way the cover can be emplaced through a simple movement
coaxially to the container axis. A stationary holding segment is no
longer a hindrance, and in the open position of the closing
mechanism no closure member is located, not even partially, near
the container edge. Rather, only after the cover has been placed
perpendicularly onto the container and the sealing ring has been
lightly compressed, are the closure members moved into the locked
position. In the locked position the closure members overlap the
container edge, and uniformly overlap the container edge over their
entire length.
In a special embodiment of the invention the oblique guidance of
the ends of the several (in particular two) groups of closure
members takes place with the aid of a pin/slot combination, a
track-guided and/or a rotating track (guides) which are simple and
work reliably. The pins can be provided in the slots in the cover
as a component of the closing mechanism on the closure members.
The closing mechanism is advantageously actuated by a central
actuation knob and/or an actuation device in the proximity of the
edge, for example via a rotating track. The rotating track, while a
simple structure, permits simultaneous comfortable operation of the
closing mechanism.
In a further embodiment of the invention the closure members are
supported in a cavity having a U cross-sectional shape, preferably
closed toward the outside, on the periphery of the cover so that
the closure members are not visible from the outside.
The closure members are therein guided radially, for example on the
circumference (periphery) of the cover, and preferably in the U
section-shaped cavity of the cover in order to ensure reliable
functioning of during closing and unlocking.
In particular the closure members can themselves be U-shaped
sections with low weight, which are open towards the container
axis. A lower flange of the U-shaped section is intended for
extending under the container edge and is preferably longer than an
upper flange so that with the free displacement path for the
closure members, the lower flange of the U-shaped section always
extends securely under the container edge.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further goals, characteristics, advantages and application
capabilities of the invention are evident in the following
description of embodiments in conjunction with the drawings.
Therein all described and/or graphically depicted characteristics
by themselves or in any combination form the subject matter of the
invention even independently of their combination in individual
claims.
The drawings depict:
FIGS. 1a and 1b schematically depict a partial vertical section of
a pressure cooker comprising the invention in the region of a
container edge, wherein closure members in FIG. 1a are in a locked
position and in FIG. 1b are in an open position; and
FIGS. 2a and 2b schematically depict a container of FIGS. 1a and 1b
in a top view wherein the relative positions of the closure members
with respect to the container edge are shown, and specifically in
the locked position (FIG. 2a) and in the open position (FIG.
2b).
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A pressure cooker depicted in the drawings comprises a container 1
intended for receiving items to be cooked, and a cover 3 which can
be placed on a container edge 2 and locked with it in order to
airtightly close the cooker. The container edge 2 is bent
outwardly. The cover 3 is equipped with a closing mechanism which,
according to FIGS. 2a and 2b, comprises four closure members
distributed over the periphery of the cover 3. Closure members 4
are arcuately adapted to the circumferential contour of the
container edge 2, are in segments, and are supported displaceably
or pivotably on the periphery of the cover 3. The closure members 4
can be moved by an actuation device (for example disposed
centrally) from an open position, in which the cover 3 can be
removed from the container 1 (FIGS. 1b and 2b), into a locked
position, in which the cover 3 is pressed at its periphery by
interspacing an encircling sealing ring 5 against the container
edge 2. The closure members 4 extend in their locked position under
the container edge 2 and press the sealing ring 5 against the
container edge 2. The sealing ring 5 is formed in a corrugated form
and held detachably with an upper arch segment in a correspondingly
formed groove 13 of the cover 3.
According to the invention the overall four closure members 4 are
combined in two groups of two closure members 4 each, and are
connected with one another via one hinge 10 for each group. Two
adjacent ends 9 of the two groups of closure members 4, with the
aid of the closing mechanism that moves the hinges 10 between the
closure members 4 radially inwardly or outwardly, can be guided
simultaneously together during closure obliquely inwardly toward
one another, and during opening, obliquely outwardly away from one
another. In this way the closure members 4 can be moved from a
position (open position) in which they do not overlap the container
edge at all into another position (locked position) in which they
extend under the container edge 2 on its periphery with a uniform
space between the closure member-edge and the container edge. In
the locked position the flow of force takes place from the
container edge 2 over the closure members 4 onto the cover 3.
In FIGS. 2a and 2b, the direction of movement, in which the
individual parts of the closure members 4 move relative to the
container edge 2 during closing or opening, is indicated by arrows.
It can be seen that the oblique guidance of the ends 9 of the
groups of closure members 4 takes place with the aid of a pin/slot
combination 11, 12. The pins 11 are provided as components of the
closing mechanism on the closure members 4, and the slots 12 are
provided in the cover 3. The closing mechanism (not indicated in
the drawing) can comprise at least one rotary track operatable by a
central actuation knob. Depending on the direction of rotation of
the knob, the closure members 4 can be moved in the indicated
directions of movement into the locked position as well as also
into the open position.
The closure members 4 are supported in a U section-shaped cavity 6
(open toward the inside) on the periphery of the cover 3 so that
the closure members 4 are not visible from the outside. The closure
members 4 can therein be guided radially on the periphery of the
cover 3, and in particular in the U section-shaped cavity 6 of the
cover 3.
The closure members 4 themselves are also implemented as a U-shaped
section open toward the container axis. A lower flange 7 of the
U-shaped section is intended for extending under the container edge
2 and is longer than an upper flange 8 so that the particular
closure members 4, without impairing the movement path in the
region of the upper flange 8, can be moved into a secure overlap
state with the container edge 2, and a secure locking and sealing
of the pressure cooker over the entire container circumference
takes place.
* * * * *